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The 2025 edition will be held on October 31 and November 1, 2025, in the city of Del Mar, California, USA. It’s part of the Breeders’ Cup Festival Week, which will start two days before the Breeders’ Cup and will have a series of celebratory events, all culminating in the Breeders’ Cup. The organizer of the tournament is Breeders’ Cup Limited, the body responsible for running both the Breeders’ Cup and the accompanying Challenge Series.

Where Will the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Be Held?

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup will be held at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, an event venue that hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. The 2025 Breeders’ Cup races are run outdoors (as is typical for major Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States).

There are 14 championship races over the two days. Each race can have up to 14 starters and up to four also-eligibles (horses that may run if others “scratch”, i.e., aren’t drawn into the race), except for the Turf Sprint and Juvenile Turf Sprint, which are limited to 12 starters and up to six also-eligibles. As a reference, in 2024, 157 horses competed across the 14 races. So, while the exact number for 2025 isn’t yet published (as of the sources we saw), the structure means up to ~14 × 14 = 196 starters in principle (less in the two races capped at 12), plus also-eligibles. But actual entrants are typically fewer.

The total in purses and awards for the 14 championship races of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup is more than US$34 million. The prize distribution depends on the finishing position, with purses ranging from US$1 million to US$7 million depending on the race.

Below are a few representative races and how their purses are distributed among the top finishers:

• The Juvenile Turf Sprint (for two-year-olds, turf, five furlongs) has a purse of $1,000,000. The winner receives $520,000, second place $170,000, third place $90,000, fourth place $50,000, fifth place $30,000, sixth place $20,000, and then smaller amounts ($10,000) for places down to 10th (for some races).
• The Juvenile Fillies (two-year-old fillies, dirt, 1 and 1/16 miles) carries a purse of $2,000,000. First place gets $1,040,000, second $340,000, third $180,000, fourth $100,000, fifth $60,000, sixth $40,000, etc.
• The Turf race (for three-year-olds and up, turf, 1½ miles) carries one of the largest purses: $5,000,000. The breakdown is approximately $2,600,000 to the winner, $850,000 for second, $450,000 for third, $250,000 for fourth, $150,000 for fifth, $100,000 for sixth, and smaller amounts for lower places (down to about $50,000).
• The premier race, the Classic (three-year-olds & up, dirt, 1¼ miles) in 2025, has a purse of $7,000,000. In that race, first place receives $3,640,000, second $1,190,000, third $630,000, fourth $350,000, fifth $210,000, and then decreasing amounts for places up to 10th (usually $70,000 for those).

Also useful to know: the general rules for how purses are distributed among finishers are consistent across most races. The proportions are roughly:

• 1st: ~52%
• 2nd: ~17%
• 3rd: ~9%
• 4th: ~5%
• 5th: ~3%
• 6th: ~2%
• Then around 1% each for 7th-10th in many of the championship races

Which Horses Will Take Part in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships?

The field in each of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races comprises some of the best Thoroughbred racehorses globally. Horses from many countries take part, often with their trainers, owners, jockeys, and breeders from the U.S., Europe, Asia, etc. Some horses are already being labeled as “contenders”.

There are a few interlocking systems, i.e., “qualifications”, in place to determine which horses make it into each race:

• The Challenge Series: Throughout the year, there are designated Challenge Races all over the world. Winning one of those grants the horse an automatic starting berth in the corresponding Breeders’ Cup Championship race — provided the horse is nominated to the Breeders’ Cup by the relevant deadline. Also, winners of those Challenge Series races get entry and pre-entry fees paid, and nominator bonuses.
• Earning graded stakes points: Aside from automatic qualifiers, for horses that haven’t won a Challenge race, their performance in graded stakes (Grade I, II, III) races earns them points. The better the grade and the better the finish (win/place/show), the more points. These points help determine which horses get in, especially if more are entered than there are spots.
• Selection by committee/panels: If more horses pre-enter a given race than the field limit allows, then after counting automatic qualifiers and point standings, a panel of experts steps in to make decisions on which remaining horses will fill the spots (based on performance, form, fitness, etc.). “Also-eligible” horses are designated in case there are scratches.

Here are some of the horses that have already secured Challenge-Race berths or are among the leading ones in point standings/contender status for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, along with how they got there. The full list isn’t settled yet, but this gives a snapshot of horses with confirmed or likely eligibility:

Horses already qualified (via Challenge races):

• Forever Young earned a berth in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic by winning the Saudi Cup.
• Costa Nova secured a Classic entry by winning the February Stakes in Japan.
• Hit Show qualified for the Classic by winning the April 5 Dubai World Cup.

Horses already named as strong contenders/leading in points:

• Sovereignty
• Sierra Leone
• Mindframe

Features of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup is structured over two stages, held across two consecutive days:

• Friday, October 31, 2025 – the opening stage is often referred to as “Future Stars Friday.” It focuses on juvenile (two-year-old) races across turf and dirt, such as the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Juvenile Fillies, and Juvenile.
• Saturday, November 1, 2025 – the second and main stage of the event, featuring the premier races for older horses, including the Distaff, Turf, Sprint, Mile, and culminating in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is the most prestigious race of the weekend.

Unlike elimination-style tournaments in other sports, the Breeders’ Cup races are stand-alone championship contests. Each race is a single run: the horses compete once, and the winner is crowned champion of that division. There are no heats, no best-ofs, and no progression rounds.

• Each race typically has up to 14 starters (12 in the Turf Sprint divisions), all running simultaneously.
• Finishing positions are determined strictly by the order of crossing the finish line.
• The purse is distributed according to placing, but there’s no elimination or bracket system: if you don’t win, there’s no “next chance” within that year’s Breeders’ Cup.

So in short, the Breeders’ Cup is a two-day championship event of individual races, not a knockout tournament. Every race is its own final, with no series or elimination system involved.

Who’ll Win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships?

Here are some of the leading favorites/top contenders for various major races at the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, broken down by race. These favorites are based on power rankings, form, recent wins, and betting/expert expectations as of now.

Classic

• Sovereignty is the consensus favorite.
• Fierceness is considered a major challenger.
• Sierra Leone remains a serious contender, especially with his late-running style and top-class performances.
• Also in the mix are Mindframe, Journalism, Forever Young, and Nysos. These have strong recent form or high expectations from trainers and bettors.

Distaff

• One name mentioned in connection with the Distaff is Straight No Chaser. She’s being pointed towards the Distaff as a target after recent graded stakes performances.
• Because the Distaff attracts many top female sprinters/middle-distance horses, often favorites are those who have just won (or placed highly in) Grade I or II fillies & mares stakes on dirt. As of the latest published “contenders” list, Baeza is also mentioned among contenders (though not always exclusively for one race) and could cross into the fillies & mares division depending on placement.

Mile/Turf/other divisions

• For the Mile (turf or dirt, depending on division), contenders include those who have done well in the Challenge Series turf/mile scorelines. The exact favorites shift over time, but horses with strong recent turf mile wins are watched closely. From the “contenders” listing, names like Johannes (for Fourstardave/Mile on turf) are among those to watch.
• In the Turf division, the horses that perform well internationally on grass, or those who have won big turf stakes in the U.S., tend to lead the betting and rankings. Some of the “contenders” list includes turf specialists.

For the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, the betting opportunities are some of the most diverse in the horse racing world. Here’s a breakdown of the best betting markets, not all, and where to place your bets:

• Win: You’re betting on a horse to finish first.
• Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta: Pick the first two, three, or four horses, respectively, in exact order.
• Daily Double bet: Correctly select the winners of two consecutive races.
• Head-to-head matchups: Instead of picking a race winner, you bet on which of two named horses will finish ahead of the other.
• Futures: Before the official field is drawn, some bookmakers offer futures betting on the Classic, Distaff, or Turf. If you pick the right horse early, odds are usually much higher.

Where to bet:

• TwinSpires – The official betting platform of Churchill Downs and heavily tied to the Breeders’ Cup. Offers full pari-mutuel pools, exotics, and live streaming.
• TVG (FanDuel Racing) – One of the most popular horse racing betting sites in the U.S., official Breeders’ Cup partner, and often offers promotions tied to Breeders’ Cup weekend.
• DRF Bets (Daily Racing Form) – Good for bettors who want in-depth analysis and stats along with their wagering.
• Bet365, William Hill, 1xBet, and other international sportsbooks – Outside the U.S., many regulated sportsbooks take Breeders’ Cup action, often with antepost markets and fixed-odds betting (as opposed to pari-mutuel).
• On-track betting at Del Mar – For those attending, on-site betting windows and machines provide direct access to all the pools and exotic wagers.

The Breeders’ Cup was inaugurated in 1984 as a single-day event with seven races. In 2007, the format was significantly expanded: the event became a two-day festival, while the race lineup evolved.

Unlike many major sporting events that stay in one city, the Breeders’ Cup is a traveling championship, but within one nation, the USA. It has rotated among some of the premier racetracks in the U.S., and was relocated only once, country-wise, to Canada.

The attendance at the Breeders’ Cup varies, depending mainly on the capacity of the host track. Santa Anita Park set the highest two-day attendance figure of 118,484 in 2016. The event attendance typically only trails the Kentucky Derby and similar major races.

The Breeders’ Cup has consistently drawn a global audience. In the U.S., it has been broadcast on major networks like NBC since 2012 (previously on ESPN and ABC). Worldwide, coverage reaches more than 150 countries, making it one of the most internationally viewed American horse racing events.

Pros and Cons of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic Race Favorites